Stockholm Open: Nadal advances to Round 2

Stockholm:

Top-seeded Rafael Nadal defeated Raemon Sluiter of the Netherlands 6-4, 6-2 in the first round of the Stockholm Open on Tuesday. Nadal, playing his first ATP tour event since being eliminated in the US Open quarterfinals in September, will take on Sweden's Joachim Johansson in the second round. "I have been practicing a lot at home on Mallorca to prepare for the end of the season,'' Nadal said. Other matches Johansson, who received a wild card for the tournament, eliminated Italian Davide Sanguinetti, 6-4 6-4. Seventh-seeded Kristof Vliegen of Belgium also advanced to the second round, beating Chile's Nicolas Massu 6-2, 6-4. Vliegen is looking for his first ATP tour title, after losing in the BMW Open final to Olivier Rochus in May. Swedish wild card Andreas Vinciguerra got his first tour win of the year, beating Nicolas Devilder of France 6-4, 6-1, while Sweden's Jonas Bjorkman defeated Peter Wessels of the Netherlands 7-5, 6-2. Spain's Feliciano Lopez also advanced to the second round after Juan Monaco of Argentina pulled out with a knee injury when trailing 2-1 during the first set. Marc Gicquel of France ousted Britain's Jonathan Marray 6-4, 7-6 (3).(AP)